Man&#39;s swim suit construction with embedded suspensory



y 21, 1964 R. c. BURBANK 3,141,458

MAN'S SWIM SUIT CONSTRUCTION WITH EMBEDDED SUSPENSORT Filed Nov. 5, 1962 4 INVENTOR.

* ROBERT c. BURBd/VK BUC/(HOR/V, FLO/7E, KLAROU/ST 8 SPAR/(MAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,141,458 MANS SWIM SUET CONTRUCTION WITH EMBEDDED SUSPENSORY Robert C. Burbank, Portland, Greg, assignor to Eantzen Inc, Portland, reg., a corporation of Nevada Filed Nov. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 235,248 7 Claims. (Cl. 128159) This invention relates to a mans swim suit, and more particularly to a supporter structure for a mans swim suit.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved supporter structure for a mans swim suit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supporter structure for a mans swim suit wherein a semirigid cup-shaped supporter is bonded to a fabric lining which is stitched into the swim suit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mans swim suit having a semi-rigid cup-shaped supporter having a multitude of small perforations for cooling.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mans swim suit including a semi-rigid cup-shaped supporter of thermoplastic material supported by a soft fabric lining embedded in the inner surface portion of the supporter.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention there may be provided a mans swim suit comprising an outer suit portion, a lining of soft fabric material secured to the front portion of the suit at the periphery of the lining and a perforated semi-rigid cup-shaped member adhered to the lining in position between the lining and the outer suit portion. The support may be formed of plastic material and the lining of soft, open textile material with the lining partially embedded in the support.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of a swim suit forming a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a mans swim suit forming one embodiment of the invention; 7

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, vertical section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partially sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a View of a supporter and a supporting lining of the swim suit of FIG. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown therein a mans swim suit comprising a suit or body portion formed of four partially elastic, fabric pieces 12, 13, 14 and 15 of known material and stitched together at seams illustrated by the seams 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. The upper portion of the suit has a loop portion 21 formed by stitching 22, in which is slidably mounted a draw cord 24. A lining or suspending element 28 has its entire periphery stitched to the forward half of the swim suit and is composed of a soft, loose, two-way stretchable, somewhat open mesh, fabric material to form a cushioned, slightly elastic structure. The fabric of material of the lining may be of the knitted type having a multitude of large openings 28a for the passage of air therethrough. The lining 28 may be of any suitable known two-way stretch, lining material for swim suits. While the strands or threads of the lining may be of cotton or other textile material, they preferably are spun synthetic elastic fibers of a known thermosetting compound and it is desirable to have a large number of loose ends of the fabric projecting out from the bodies of the strands to form a light, unnoticeable nap for anchoring the strands to a thermoplastic supporter cup 32. One highly satisfactory material for the fibers of the strands of the lining has been segmented polyurethane. However, other synthetic elastic fibers may be used success- 3,141,458 7 Patented July 21, 1964 fully in these strands. Also, while the lining has been described as being knitted and from elastic fibers to provide the two-way stretch, the lining with two-way stretch may have a different stitch construction than knitting and also have non-elastic fibers in the strands as is well known in the textile art.

As shown best in FIG. 2, the supporter cup 32 is light, semi-rigid and highly resilient, and preferably is composed of thermoplastic material such as, for example, a copolymer of ethylene and silicone commercially available from the Union Carbide Corporation under the designation Resin DPDB6169. The lining 28 is bonded to the cup. The bonding may be accomplished by an adhesive, but preferably is effected by embedding the lining in the concave portion of the cup by heating the surface portion of the cup, pressing the lining into the still heated portion of the cup, to embed the outer portions of the lining in the cup sufficiently to adhere the lining to the cup, and cooling the cup to harden the heat softened portion thereof. As the lining is pressed against the heat softened portion of the cup, the material of the cup flows partially around the loose fibers of strands of the lining and partially around the strands of the knitted lining to interlock the cup with the outer portion of the lining and securely fasten the cup to the lining. The cup is made from thermoplastic sheet material of uniform thickness, and the sheet material is shaped while heated to form the cup. Preferably the sheet material is molded into the shape of the cup and the lining is embedded into the cup at the same time. This may be effected by placing the sheet material in a planar sheet cut to the necessary peripheral shape and the lining, which is tensioned, between heated molds of the shape of the cup which are then brought together under pressure to heat the sheet material, shape the sheet material into the cup and embed the outer portion of the lining partly into the portion of the cup adjacent the inner surface thereof. The lining is held under sufficient tension in perpendicular directions during the molding to avoid wrinkles in the lining by the drawing action of the molding. The cup and lining then are cooled, and the resulting structure has the cup firmly secured to the lining. The material of the lining is such that it does not soften or lose its elasticity under the temperatures, times and pressures of the molding operation which are kept to the rather low magnitudes necessary to soften the thermoplastic material of the cup 32. The known synthetic fibers have this property of being unaffected by the conditions of molding thermoplastics as do the other textile fibers commonly used in fabrics having two-way stretch.

The cup 32 has a large number of fine holes or perforations 32a spaced over the entire area thereof, and extending through the cup. The perforations may be formed after the cup has been molded, but preferably may be formed in the planar sheet material, and the heat and pressure of the molding are very carefully controlled to prevent the holes from becoming completely closed.

One constructed example of the cup 32 was molded or drawn from a planar sheet of polyethylene-silicone material about .045 inches thick with a large number of perforations. The lining was stretched over the sheet and the composite supporter structure was molded under heat and pressure to embed the loose fibers of the strands of the lining and the strands into the cup and draw the central portion of the sheet and the portion of the lining in engagement therewith to form the cup-shaped laminated supporter. The heat and pressure were so controlled as to only partially close the perforations to provide essentially a highly porous supporter structure. The minimum thickness of the cup 32 so formed was about .040 inch.

In the above-described swim suit, the cup 32 has been disclosed as supported by the lining 28 bonded to the interior face of the cup. However, if desired, the lining 28 may be omitted and the exterior surface of the cup may be bonded directly to the inner surfaces of the fabric pieces 12 and 13 forming the front of the body portion of the swim suit. The bonding may be effected by partially embedding the fabric in the cup or by a suitable adhesive.

While the above-described supported structure has been disclosed while incorporated in a mans swim suit, it is obvious that the supporter structure may be used very successfully as a supporter with the lining suitably formed with a waist band and retaining leg straps. The supporter structure is lightweight and durable, and provides excellent ventilation and cooling as well as fast draining of water from the inside of the supporter structure.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mans swim suit,

a body portion,

a lining,

means securing the lining to at least the upper and lower portions of the front portions of the body portion,

a semi-rigid cup-shaped supporter having a multitude of perforations therein,

and means fastening the supporter to the lining to suspend the supporter in the front portion of the body portion.

2. In a supporter for a mans swim suit,

a semi-rigid cup-shaped supporter member of plastic material,

and a fabric front lining having a substantial nap embedded in the supporter member.

3. In a mans swim suit,

an outer body portion,

a fabric front lining having a nap and positioned in the front portion of the body portion,

means securing portions of the lining to the body portion,

and a semi-rigid cup-shaped supporter of thermoplastic material, at least a portion of the nap of the front lining being embedded in the supporter.

4. In a mans swim suit,

a body portion having side seams and also being provided with a top seam and a bottom seam,

a generally triangular lining of soft open mesh elastic material secured along the periphery thereof to the seams of the body portion and having a multitude of loose fiber ends,

and a cup-shaped supporter composed of thermoplastic material having a multitude of perforations distributed thereover and having the loose fiber ends and the adjacent portions of the lining embedded in the concave side of the cup-shaped supporter.

5. In a mans swim suit,

a fabric body portion having side seams and also being provided with a top seam and a bottom seam,

a cup-shaped supporter composed of thermoplastic material,

and a generally triangular lining of open material secured along the periphery thereof to said seams of the body portion and embedded in the concave side of the supporter.

6. In a supporter for a mans swim suit,

a supporter cup composed essentially of resilient thermoplastic material of a substantially uniform thickness not less than about .040 inch and having a plurality of perforations,

and a supporting fabric of soft open mesh knitted construction composed essentially of strands of spun fibers of elastic material having a large number of loose fiber ends forming a nap,

a portion of the fabric being secured to the concave side of the supporter cup with the nap and portions of the strands embedded in the supporter cup, to anchor the fabric to the concave face of the cup.

7. In a mans swim suit,

an outer body portion,

a suspending lining composed of an open mesh fabric having a nap and positioned in the front portion of the body portion,

means securing the suspending lining to the body portion,

and a semi-rigid cup-shaped supporter composed of a thermoplastic material, the portions of the lining and the nap adjacent the supporter being embedded in the adjacent surface portion of the supporter to firmly adhere the supporter to the lining.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,588,066 Thorp June 8, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS 620 Great Britain AD. 1905 UNITEDTSTATES LPATEl S'IT ROIFFIACE QERTIFICfiATE 6F CURRECTION Patent No 3,141,458 July 21 1964 Robert-gCrb Burbank v I It is hereby certifiedrthat error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correct'i'oh'nd that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

column 31 line "p second occurrence read po ti in Signed-and sealeel this 17th day of November 1964,

(SEAL) Lttest:

:RNEST W. SWI'DE'R EDWARD J. BRENNER Nesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. IN A MAN''S SWIM SUIT, A BODY PORTION, A LINING, MEANS SECURING THE LINING TO AT LEAST THE UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS OF THE FRONT PORTIONS OF THE BODY PORTION, A SEMI-RIGID CUP-SHAPED SUPPORTER HAVING A MULTITUDE OF PERFORATIONS THEREIN, AND MEANS FASTENING THE SUPPORTER TO THE LINING TO SUSPEND THE SUPPORTER IN THE FRONT PORTION OF THE BODY PORTION. 